Vanity case



zxprfl E@ 39371 w. T. PARKEN VANITY CASE Filed March 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l AWM 2U, w37., W. T. PARKHN VANITY CASE Filed March 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m fi M Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VANITY casi:

Application March 28. 1936, Serial No. 71,465

6 Claims.

This invention relates to containers such, for example, as vanity cases and like articles.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a vanity case or like article having inner and outer covers each having catches successively operable by means of a single doubleacting finger piece which is effective, rst to release the outer cover and then the inner cover; and to provide a vanity -case having a substantially leakproof construction, which is compact and o1' pleasing and attractive appearance, which is oi strong and durable construction having but few parts, which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble, and which can be sold at a relatively low cost.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vanity case constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view ot a casing, with parts broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing 4the parts when both catches have been released; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of-Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a section on the line I--l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the finger piece, catch and cam release;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the spring-pressed catch for the inner cover; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the spring for opening the outer cover.

'I'he embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a casing I which may be of any desired size and shape, here shown as being generally rectangular and having a bottom wall 2 (Figs. 4. and 5) which is integral with its curved upstanding side, front and rear walls 3,

4, 5, respectively (Figs. 1, 4 and 5). The parts are preferably of sheet metal or other material which may be easily shaped or worked and which is capable of receiving and retaining an attractive surface nish. A hinge 6 supports an outer cover 'l which carries an inwardly extending tongue 8 integral with its front edge, and, if desired, a mirror 9 may be built in or otherwise secured to the cover l in any suitable manner.

The front wall 4 of the casing is formed with a central opening or slot I0 and an opening I I near the junction of the front and side walls 3 and 4, as shown in Fig. 1.

A tray I2, having a depending marginal ilange, tightly fits within the casing I and is retained in position by inwardly bent lugs' I4 and I5 (Fig. 1) integral with the front wall 4 o1' the casing. The tray I2 is formed with spaced depressions I6 and Il, each having vertical walls of a depth slightly less than that of the casing, the depressions constituting powder compartments. Between the lateral edge of the compartment I1 and the adjacent edge of the tray, its surface is shaped to provide a convex part I9 (Fig. 1) defining a compartment 2B adapted to receive a lipstick holder (not shown) through the opening Ii.

The compartment I1 is designed to receive a cake or tablet of powder which may be retained therein by a tongue 2i struck out from one of the walls of the compartment. The compartment I6 is designed to hold loose powder and is provided with a cover 22 which is hinged to the margin of the tray near, the side wall of the casing, as shown at 23 (Fig. l). When in closed position, the cover 22 engages a, gasket or packing 23 disposed in pocket 24 (Figs. 6 and 7) which extends about the periphery of the compartment, thus providing a substantially powder-tight seal. The size, shape and location of the compartments preferably are such that the space between their adjacent walls is in alignment with the opening I0 in the front wall of the casing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Between the compartments I6 and I1, the tray is formed with an opening 26 through which projects a releasable catch 21 carried by a resilient member 28 (Fig. 9) which consists of a single piece of resilient metal, the body portion of which is disposed between the adjacent walls of the compartments, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7.v One end of the resilient member is U-shaped so as to engage the walls of the compartments I6 and I'I, and its opposite end is bent inwardly, as shown at 29 (Fig. 9) to provide a nger 30 by means of which the catch 21 may be moved toward or away from the compartment I6. The design of the member 28 is such that the catch 21 normally overlies the edge of the cover 22, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and is movable in response to flexing of the ringer 30 (toward the compartment Il) to a position clear of the cover 22, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

The front edge of the tray is formed with an opening 32 (Figs. 1 to 3) in alignment with the opening I0 in the front wall of the casing and the rear edge of the tray is formed with an opening 34 (Figs. 4 and 5) through which projects an upwardly and outwardly curved finger 36 integral with an arcuate spring member 31 (Fig. 10) interposed between the rear walls of the compartments I6 and I'l and the rear wall of the casing, as shown in Figs. 2 to 5. The spring member 31 is so designed that the nger 36 is at all times yieldingly held in engagement with the lower edge of the cover 1, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, and when the cover is held closed the spring member is under suiiicient compression to swing it to open position (Fig. 1) if the cover is released.

The cover 1 is held closed by a double-acting locking device 40 (Fig. 8) interposed between the outer Walls of compartments I6 and l1 and the front wall 4 of the casing (Figs. 2 to 5). The locking device consists of an arcuate spring 4l which carries a catch 42 projecting upwardly through the opening 32, and a nger piece 43 which projects outwardly through the opening l0, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5. The nger piece 43 is provided with an inwardly extending cam finger 44 formed with a tapered end 45 which constitutes a cam engageable with the finger 3D on the member 28. The parts are so constructed and arranged that the catch 42 is normally held in a position to engage the lip 8 of the cover 1 when in closed position and the cam or finger 44 is normally disposed to permit the catch 21 to hold the inner cover 22 closed, as shown in Fig. 2. When the iinger piece 40 is pressed inwardly the first part of its movement acts to move the catch 42 inwardly a distance suicient only to release the outer cover 1, which flies open under the action of the spring 31, and when the finger piece 40 is-pressed inwardly its full distance, the cam 45 forces the finger 30 to move away from the adjacent wall of the compartment I6 a distance suf- Iicient to release the inner cover 22, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

It will be noted that a case constructed in ac cordance with the present invention embodies a minimum number of parts which may be quickly assembled and which do not require the use of fastening elements or means other than those forming a part of the structure in order to hold them in operative position.

While I have shown and described one desirable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in shape, proportion and arrangement vof parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. An article of the class described comprising a casing, an outer cover for said casing, a powder tray disposed within said casing, an inner cover for said tray, and releasable means for locking the inner and outer covers in closed position, said means comprising a spring-pressed catch for holding said outer cover in closed position, a spring-pressed catch for holding said inner cover in closed position, a. depressible ringer piece carried by the rst catch, and a cam member secured to said finger piece and operative in response to depression of said finger piece to effect the release of the second catch subsequent to the releasing of the iirst catch.

2. An article of the class described comprising a casing, an outer cover for said casing, a powder tray disposed within said casing, an inner cover for said tray, a spring-pressed catch for holding the inner cover closed, a spring catch for holding the outer cover closed, and means for effecting the successive release of the catches, said means comprising a iinger piece connected to the second catch, said nger piece having an inwardly extending part constituting a cam engageable with the iirst catch to effect its release subsequent to the release of the second catch.

3. An article of the class described comprising a casing having an opening in its front wall, a hinged cover for said casing, a powder tray within said casing, a cover for said tray, spring-pressed catches for holding the covers in closed position, said catches being in alignment with the opening in the front wall of said casing, and a finger piece disposed in said opening and secured to the catch for the cover for said casing, said linger piece having an inwardly extending part constituting a cam engageable with the catch for the cover for said tray to effect its release subsequent to the release of the cover for said case.

4. An article of the class described comprising a casing, an outer cover for said casing, a tray within said casing having two compartments, one of said compartments having a cover, a springpressed catch for said outer cover, a springpressed catch for the other cover disposed between said compartments, a depressible finger piece connected to the catch for the outer cover, and a cam connected to said nger piece and engageable with the catch for the other cover to effect its release subsequent to the release of the catch for the cuter cover.

5. An article of the class described comprising a casing having an opening in its front wall, an outer cover for said casing, spaced compartments within said casing, the spacing between said compartments being in alignment with said opening, an inner cover for one of said compartments, a spring-pressed catch for the outer cover located between said opening and the adjacent walls of said compartments, a spring-pressed catch for said inner cover located between said compartments, and a depressible nger piece secured to the catch for said outer cover, said finger piece being disposed in said opening and having an inwardly extending part engageable with the catch for the inner cover to effect its release subsequent to the release of the catch for the outer cover.

6. A vanity case having a cover hinged along one edge, a releasable catch for said cover, a finger piece for releasing said catch, a powder tray within said casing, and means for opening said cover when said catch is released, said means consisting of an arcuate spring located between said tray and the hinge for said cover, said spring having an upwardly and outwardly projecting nger engageable with the margin of said cover adjacent to the hinge and operative yieldingly to urge said cover to an open position.

WINF'RED T. PARKIN. 

